


A date proper

by Lokomotiv



Series: Tony & Tony Series [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, NCIS, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-13
Updated: 2017-01-13
Packaged: 2018-09-17 07:47:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9312185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lokomotiv/pseuds/Lokomotiv
Summary: The Tonys go on a first date.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Tony DiNozzo POV.

“So,” Tony said.

“Yeah."

“A date."

“Yup."

They sat in silence for a while. Tony studied the older man. There was something a little bit off about his behavior. Not dangerous, but… he was definitely on edge. Tony took a sip of wine, looking around. It was a nice restaurant, the kind he treated himself to maybe twice a year. Expensive. Exquisite.

“I was surprised you called so soon."

“I figured it was best to get this over with sooner rather than later."

“Oh, ouch."

“Ah, no, I didn’t mean it like that."

Tony smiled as he saw the look of consternation on the older man’s face.

“Hey, I was kidding. I’m glad you called so soon."

“Do you, I mean-"

The older man broke off. Tony waited patiently, keeping his face neutral and open. He wanted to reach out and put a hand against the older man’s cheek, calm him down, let him know things were okay, but he wasn’t sure it would be welcome. The older man studied him intently, almost… suspiciously?

“Do you really not know, or are you just-"

Tony frowned.

“Know what?"

“Shit, I haven’t had to do this for so long, I don’t even know how to, anymore."

Tony felt suddenly cold.

“Wait, are you breaking up with me already? Because in that case, you should’ve just not called."

“What? No. Fuck, I’m really messing this up."

Tony recognized the helpless note in the older man’s voice, and suddenly he didn’t care if it were welcome or not; he reached slowly across the small table and gently placed his palm against the other man’s cheek. The other Tony saw what he was about to do, and didn’t move away, so that was something. Neither of them said anything, and after a few moments of meeting each other’s eyes, the older man closed his eyes and sighed. A couple of silent breaths later, he reached up and grasped Tony’s hand with his own, and lowered it to the table. He kept his eyes downcast. Patting Tony’s hand awkwardly a few times, he said

“Yeah. Okay."

Tony studied him, and oddly didn’t feel rejected. The older man had accepted the gesture, the reassurance, and now he looked calmer.

“Just gonna do this the band-aid way. Always works."

“Yeah,” Tony agreed, even though he had no idea what the other man was talking about.

Finally, after another pause, the older man looked up and met his eyes.

“So, proper introductions. My name is Tony Stark."

“All right, I’m To- wait, what? _What?_ Shit. Holy crap, you _are_."

And _now_ , of course, one romp in the sheets and half a date too late, did he recognize the man sitting across from him. (Okay, so it was three romps in the sheets, but who’s counting?) Tony felt his face heat up, because _how the fuck could he not have realized that?_  


“God, I’m sorry. I should have… I don’t know, I’m just- I’m sorry."

“So you really didn’t know?"

“No. God, you must think I’m an idiot, huh? Shit, because I _am_ , I can’t believe-"

“Hey, it’s not a problem. I wasn’t sure, I thought maybe you were pretending not to recognize me?"

“No. Why would I do that? I mean, you’re… you’re fucking _Iron Man_."

“Yeah. I thought maybe you were doing it to be nice. It _was_ nice, the way you seemed to like _me_ , you know, _Tony_ , not the… all the other things."

“I do like you. But shit, you’re so out of my league I can’t even- And oh my god, I can’t believe I asked-"

Suddenly, Tony felt a hand against his own cheek, and his eyes snapped up to meet those of the man across from him. There was a smile in there, and playing around the older man’s mouth.

“I’m glad you did, Tony Two."

Tony grinned weakly in response. The waiter appeared by their table, and the other Tony ( _Stark!_   _OMG!_ ) withdrew his hand. They sat in silence as their food was served. Neither man immediately said anything even after the waiter had retreated.

“So, uh. How does this work, then?” Tony finally asked. “I mean, assuming I’ve read your intentions correctly, and you’re not here to let me down in the nicest way possible?"

“I’m not. I am, however, here in part to give you the chance to opt out."

Tony scoffed.

“Yeah, right."

“No, I’m serious."

“Why would I-"

“Your name is Anthony DiNozzo Junior, you’re an NCIS agent working on a team of four. I know your birthdate, home address, your work history, where you went to school. Same for your parents, friends, colleagues. Pretty much everything there is to know from internet searches and not-entirely-public records."

“You did a background check."

“Yeah."

“Huh. I probably should have done that too."

“If we do this, we need to keep it quiet. You can tell a few people, provided they check out. That is, provided _I_ am satisfied they check out.”

“What about you?"

“I’ll tell a few people too. I already have, actually. JARVIS knows, obviously, and Pepper. She has to, since she pretty much runs my life. JARVIS is my AI, and he, well, him not knowing is just... not an option."

“AI, is that like an assistant?"

“Uh, sort of, only he’s digital."

“Um, okay. I think you need to elaborate. Not so good with the... digital."

“Oh, I beg to differ. But admittedly that was another kind of digital. He’s… technically he’s a computer program, but in all ways that matters, yes, he’s my assistant. And my, uh, my friend. Actually."

Tony did notice that the other man shot him an apprehensive glance at that admission, but he didn’t quite understand why. Well, okay, maybe. He had the vague notion that most people probably didn’t consider computer programs friends, but he honestly knew too little about technology to have any strong opinions one way or the other.

“Huh. Cool. I’d like to meet him. I don’t think I’ve met an AI before."

“He, uh, he doesn’t really have a physical body-"

“Yeah, no, I figured. I meant maybe on a screen? Is that how it works?"

“Oh. No, well, he can, do that I mean, but he has an advanced voice protocol, mostly he uses that."

“You’re saying he _talks_? That is so cool!"

The other man didn’t say anything, but he smiled and there was something soft in his eyes as they met Tony’s.

“What?"

“Nothing, just. I… I think you’ll get along."

“Oh. All right."

“There’s one more thing. Here."

Tony looked at the sleek black cell that the older man pushed across the table.

“You’re giving me a phone?"

“No. Well, yes. If you’re going to have JARVIS in your phone you really need an upgrade. We can’t very well expect him to live in the piece of crap you call a phone, now can we?"

“No, I don’t suppose we can. Thank you."

The older man studied him, a tad sceptically, and he fought the urge to squirm uncomfortably.

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing. Well, yes, actually something. Is that all?"

“What do you mean?"

“That’s all you’re going to say about… all of this?"

Tony felt his stomach sink as he realized he’d messed up already. Not quite a record, but in the past he mostly hadn’t cared this much. He should have been more grateful, probably. Yeah, that was probably it. Stupid, stupid, _stupid_. He didn’t quite know what else he should have said or done (which actually upon reflection was a far too common occurrence in his life), but he’d learned that the best option was pretty much always to beg forgiveness. 

“I’m sorry-"

“No, don’t apologize! Fuck, I really, really suck at this, apparently. What I meant was: I tell you I’ve pried into your personal life, that I’ll have absolute say in who we tell about this relationship should we pursue it, and that I want to replace your phone with one with my personal AI installed, and instead of running away screaming about stalkers and control freaks, you thank me for the new phone? Which by the way wasn’t even really a proper gift, more like a means to an end."

Tony allowed himself to feel a tentative relief. It seemed as though his response hadn’t been so inadequate after all - just unexpected?

“Um. Yes?" he said.

“Huh."

“It’s a really nice phone."

“It is. I designed most of it."

“Now I like it even more."

“Cute. All cards on the table: I want JARVIS in your phone because it makes me crazy when I don’t know if my people are safe, or if I don’t have a way to get to them when they aren’t. If that’s too much-"

“No, I get that."

“I won't spy on you for shits and giggles-"

“It’s not spying if I know you’re doing it. And really, I do get it. If I had a way to know if my people were safe or not, I would totally use it."

“Huh."

“Also, I kind of like the idea of someone keeping an eye on me like that, you know, as long as I know about it. It’s kinda hot, actually."

“ _Huh_."

Tony watched the older man, and was satisfied to see a small smile replace the serious look he’d sported. He reached out and took a sip of the wine. It was delicious. He debated silently with himself, but finally decided to just ask what was on his mind. It had (amazingly) worked out pretty well in their conversations so far.

“Did you think I’d be upset?"

“About my stalkery behaviour? Yes."

“But it’s not stalkery, is it? I mean, you’re famous, of course you’re going to do a background check before you start dating someone. Same goes for keeping those who know about your relationship to only a few trusted people. Why would that make me upset?"

“Because it makes everybody else upset? Even Pepper complained about how I always wanted to keep tabs on her, and that’s the most successful relationship I’ve ever been in. So far."

“This is the same Pepper who runs your life?"

“Yeah, she’s my ex. Also the CEO of Stark Industries, so in a weird kind of way sort of my boss, except not really. It’s complicated."

“Sounds like it. And she runs your life?"

“Yup."

“Doesn’t that get awkward?"

“Not really. She did that long before were got together and never stopped while we _were_ together, so it would just have been weird if she stopped when we broke up, I think."

“Huh."

“That’s not gonna be a problem, is it?"

“What? No, of course not. I was just thinking that she 'runs your life' but gets upset with you for wanting to keep tabs on what she’s doing? Isn’t that a tad hypocritical?"

The other Tony didn’t respond, and when Tony looked up at him he was looking down at his plate and frowning. Shit, that had been the wrong thing to say. Obviously. You don't say bad things about the ex, and you don't say bad things about the friends. Double fuck-up there, saying stupid shit about the ex that was still a friend.

“Tony, you all right?"

Tony looked up and met hazel eyes.

“Look, I’m sorry,” he said hastily. “It’s really not my place to say anything about-"

“Hey, _hey_."

“Sorry.”

Tony looked back down at his plate.

“Don’t apologize. I’d just never thought about it like that before, and while I do see your point, I think the situations are too different to be comparable."

“Yeah, I'm-“

"But, you know, I’m really going to enjoy calling her on her stalkery behavior anyway."

Tony hesitated, then looked up. The older man was studying him, a hint of a smile on his face.

“Yeah?"

“Oh yeah. She’s totally going to blow a fuse. In that poised dignified way that she does everything. And then she’ll make me regret it for a week. Or a month."

“She sounds… formidable, I guess."

“She is."

“And maybe a little scary."

“Oh, she’s terrifying."

“And yet you’re going to knowingly provoke her?"

“I live on the _edge_ , baby!"

Tony smiled, grateful that the older man tried to lighten the mood, but he couldn’t shake the uncomfortable feeling he had about having messed up so badly. He’d really been out of line, and he hadn’t even realized until-

“Hey there, Tony Two. It’s really okay. I’m not upset."

“I just..."

“What?"

“I wish you’d let me apologize. I was out of line."

“Fine, apology accepted. Just know that I know that from what you knew at the time there was no way you could know what I know."

Suddenly, inexplicably, Tony felt like laughing.

“Can you really accept an apology I haven’t even made yet? Also: _what_?"

“Oh, you’ve apologized like a billion times already. Oh, all right, three times. _Fine_ , two and a half. They are _all_ accepted. And what, what?"

“Fine, okay. Thank you. 'What' as in what was all that ‘knowing' about?"

“What knowing?"

“‘Just know that I know that...' I don’t know, just a lot of knowing going on there."

“Oh, that."

“Yeah. Just so _you_ know, I don’t know what you were talking about."

“Right. I just meant that based on the information you had at time you made your observation, that observation was very… astute."

“Oh."

“Yeah, and as I said, I appreciate the new perspective. I’ll have fun with it."

“Yeah. All right."

This time, the silence that spread between them was comfortable. Again, it was broken by the older Tony.

“What do you say we take dessert to go, maybe go back to your place?"

“Are you saying you expect me to put out on the first date?"

“Uh, yeah. Kinda. You know, considering."

“Well, I kinda expect the same of you, so I guess, considering, that we only have one real concern here."

“Yeah, what’s that then?"

“If I bring you home tonight, will you still stalk me in the morning?"

Tony smiled at the older man’s startled laughter.

“Oh, I will stalk you to your heart’s content, Tony Two. That I can pretty much promise."

“I’ll hold you to that."


End file.
